A RESIDENTS-only parking scheme was today branded 'highway robbery' after council bosses admitted they were charging residents for a system they could not enforce.

Hundreds of residents in the Infirmary, Ewood and Mill Hill areas of Blackburn have been paying at least £10 a year for the privilege of parking outside their own houses since the project was launched four years ago.

But police today said they told Blackburn with Darwen councillors they did not have the resources to make sure non-permit holders were not parking illegally.

A leading councillor admitted the scheme had not be enforced properly for two years because of a lack of parking wardens -- but ruled out refunding residents.

Coun Andy Kay said he hoped more tickets would be handed out when parking enforcement passes from the police to the council in October.

Residents-only parking was introduced in the Infirmary area to stop hospital staff and visitors blocking streets and in the Mill Hill and Ewood areas to clampdown on heavy football traffic. Some households have paid extra to buy visitors permits for friends and relatives.

Inspector Mick Laraway said he had spoken to the private company Capita, which is responsible for the council's highway management, to raise concerns about the scheme.

He said police could not effectively enforce it, although they managed to carry out some enforcement for the first two years. He added: "The police weren't supportive of the scheme at the time as those schemes are very difficult to enforce and we simply do not have the resources.

"We are responding to concerns from residentsa and from the hospital regarding obstructions of emergency vehicles, which is often down to poor parking. Hopefully that will improve with the de-criminalisation of parking towards the end of the year."

Brian Booth, chairman of of the Ivy Street Street Community Association, said: "People feel like they have been robbed."

Stewart Melling, of Ivy Street, said: "Residents have been ripped off. If I could sue the council I would do."

Colin Rigby, Conservative leader at the council, said the scheme was "highway robbery." He added: "I think it is unfair to charge people for something that you are not delivering."

Liberal Democrat leader, Paul Browne, added: "If the scheme is not being implemented, they should cancel it."

Earlier this year, Coun Kay, the council's executive member for regeneration admitted the borough only had "one or two parking wardens who hardly ever hand out tickets."

He added: "There was some debate about whether the police decided they could not enforce it before or after it was introduced.

"Come October there will be a substantial number of new parking wardens and people with residents only parking can expect the benefit of that scheme back.

"It is being enforced, but not to the degree we would like. The council cannot do anything about this until it takes over in October. There will be no refunds because to go through the legal process would be too time consuming."

Liberal Democrat leader Paul Browne added: "If the scheme is not being implemented, they should cancel it. I don't want the public being ripped off."